Stake pocket



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,473

I L. D. GREGG STAKE POCKET Filed fApril 20, 1928 Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES,

LOUIS n. GREGG, or HacKEnsAok, NEW messy, nssrenon T0 T e erase COMPANY F emes-e H W ERSEY- STAKE roc rnr.

Application filed April 20,

This invention relates to an improvement in stake pockets for railway cars and the like. It is an object of the invention to provide an easily releasable stake pocket for railway cars in which the stakes are supported only from the lower end by resting in the pockets, and in which therepeated opening of the stake pockets to release the'stakes for dumping will not wear and out into the portion of the stake resting against the latch of the stake pocket.

"Another object or" the invention is to provide a stake pocket for supporting the stakes of sugarcane cars and cars for other commodities which are to be dumped, so as to permit ready opening of the pocket to release the stake, and in which the load on the stakes will not cause binding of the latch.

A further object of the invention is to provice a releasable stake pocket of the type described, having a door in direct contact with the stake, whichhas little or no movement in a vertical plane, butjwhich is readily released horizontally when the latch is disengaged, and a movable latch by which the door m'ay be' locked in closed position.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description thereof proceeds.

Referring now; to the drawings which indicate a preferred embodiment of the invention. i

Figure l is a perspective view of one form ofthe stakepocket, showing a stake'rest ing therein Figure 2 is a plan view ot the stakepocket shown inFigure 1, with the open position 0 the parts shown in dotted line.

Figure 3 is asectional view on a line 3 3. of Figure 2.

Figured is a plan view of a modified form of embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a further modified form of the invention.

In the form of embodiment illustrated in Figure .1, the stake pocket comprises a casing 1, which is'pr'ef erably a malleable iron orsteel casting'having arectangular pocket therein closed'on three sides iand provided with the bottom ledge 3, on which'th e bottom ofthe stake, indicated, at S rests. The' casing 1 is adapted to be secured to the frame of the railway car by means of bolts or thelike passing throughthe openings "prio'if Patent' N 1,

1928. Serial No. 271,424.

To permit the stakesv to be released for discharge of the load, which may be sugar cane,- lumber, or any other bulky commodity, the stake pocket is providedwith a door 5, which closes the front of the opening 2, and ispreferably' pivoted on a bolt 6, passin between the top flange 7' and intermediate EangeS of the casing 1. The door 5 preferably presents a smooth rear surface against the side of the stake "in contact therewith and is secured to the pivot 6 in such a way as to prevent any substantial amount of up and down or'vertical movement of the door when the: latch 'is applied or released. At the lower portion of the door 5 toward the front an integral catch member 9, providing a trough 10, isformed so as to receive'the latch bar 11 of the latch. The latch bar- 11 is pivoted on'a bolt 12 which extends between the top and intermediate flange members 7 and 8 on the opposite side of the casing 1 from the bolt 6. The'latch' barn is pro- Vided with'an enlarged hollow-boss 0r socket v13,preferably"having a closed: bottom 13,

surroundingthe pin 12, and? a "compressed coiledspring 14 islocated in the openingof the boss around the'pin' 12,; with; the upper en'd'of the spring '14 pressing against the upper flange "member-,7 and the lower end stake pocket. The upper portion of the f socket 13 is bevelledso tthatithe l'atchi when raised will not ifeul the topzflange' member't' and the socket l3 tapers outwardly froinibot- 'tonrtojtop, 'as'indicated, so it'will' not foul the pin 12when the latch 11 is raised thus permitting the 'outerend 3 of "the lateh'bar 'to lifted upwardly against the 'comp're ssion of the spring 14' 'to' free" the latch bar" from the trough '10 in'the door 5, one edge of the trough being cut away as indicated at 10*;to'

permit this releasing upon elevation of the latch ba'r '11. i It will be understood, of course,

illustrated but may be only a short latch or ios keeper formed as 'a" part of the stake pocket 1', such asfthe ke'e' e'r 2"illust'rated in my 45379, granted July 6,

191 5,ior t'hekeeper 151 i Figured.

From the dotted line positiono'f the latch bar as ind cated in Figure 1, it will be obvious that the latch bar 11 may be swung outwardly around the pivot pin 12 to release the door 5, which may then swing around the pivot pin 6, opening the front of the compartment 2 and permitting the stake S to move out of the compartment, freeing the load resting thereagainst. To secure the stake in the pocket, the stake is again replaced the compartment 2, with the bottom resting on the ledge 23, the door 5 closed and the fupper end of the latch bar moved up .vardiy and swung into position above the trough 10 and permitted todescend therein. The compression of the spring Hand the contour of the bottom 13, which. tends to keep the latch bar in a down position, is suflicient to prevent accidental unlatching under normal cond tions, and yet permits the elevation ofthe latch bar for releasing the stakes when desired. The use of a separate latch member pivoted on the opposite side from the door greatly reduces the pressure at the point where the latch bar rest-s against its keeper, facilitating the release of the latch and greatlyreducing the damage done to the latch when opening'the same with a hammer or otherwise. i

The door 5, which is in contact with the front surface ofith'estake, swings in a hori. zontal plane around the pivot 6and is held substantially free from vertical movement whenthe latch bar 11 is raised orlowered, giving a smooth and immovable support against the stake S so that the stakes are not worn'afway or cut into by the frequent raising and lowering of the latch bar 11. An objection which arises when an attemptis made to release the stakes 1n the prior stake pockets,

in which the latch bars are in direct contact ing the latch in the trough espec'ally if the depth of the trough is increased,;thereby making necessary greater vertical movement to attain the release. Figure 5 shows a modified construction in which the spring 14 has been omitted and the socket 13 formed with no bottom becoming merely a cored extension of latch .11 with a hole for pin 12. As illustrated in Figure 5, neither the hole for pin'12 nor thetop of the latch bar need be tapered to permit the, liftingof same to disengage it from the trough as the clearance between the latch 11 and pin .12 permits tiltbe lifted'vertically for disengaging it from 7 the trough.

It will benoted that a stationary plate in contact with the outer surfacefof the stake S may be provided in various ways, such as by the use of a th n plate of sheet metal between the latch bar and thestake S, secured by chain ofsuitable length to the stake pocket, so. to permit the: plate to dropout of place without becoming lost, wvhenthe latch bar is opened, or by the use'of a door 5 as'indicated in Figure 4, which shows both thedoor 5 and the latch 11 pivoted, one above the other at the same Side of the stake pocketaround the pin 12, the latch barbeing secured in a suitable notch or recess '15; in

the opposite side of the casing 1, or in other ways.

' Various modifications and changes may be inade in the embodnncnts Illustrated and otherembodiments may be usedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

. I claim:

- 1. In a stake pocket for railway cars and a stake pocket forrailway cars and a pivoted latchbarthelike, astake receiving compartment havingan open front a pivoted door for closing the open front, a pivoted latch bar for releasably latching the door in closed position, a keeper for receiving the latch bar and means to permit movement, of the latch bar in. a vertical and horizontal plane, to release same from the keeper. 1 j

v 8. In a stake pocket forfrailway cars, a stalre'rcceiving and supporting compartment having an open front "through which the stake mayfall when released, a pivoted door for closing the open front, a' latch bar pivoted for horizontal movement for, releasably latching the door in closed position, a

catch for receiving said latch bar, and spring means normally. holding said latch bar in horizontal pos tion but permitting vertical movement thereof for insertion into or'revmoval from said catch.

4, In a stake pocket for railway 'car sand the like. a' stake receiving and supporting compartment having an open front, a smooth plate member closing said open front and contacting with one surface of the stake. a latch member for releasably latching said stake and plate in'position, a catch for receiving said latch member, a pivot pin, a large socket on said latch member surrounding said plvot pin, and a coil spring around said pin pressing upon the bottom of ing the open front, a pivoted latch bar for releasably latching the door in closed posi tion, a trough on said door for receiving the latch bar, means to permit swinging of the latch bar, and means to permit movement of the latch bar in a plane other than the plane it swings in.

6. In a stake pocket for railway carsand the like, a stake receiving compartment having an open front through which the stake inserted, a pivoted door for closing the open front, a pivoted latch bar for releasably latching the door in closed position, a keeper for receiving the latch bar and means to permit the movement of the latch bar in two planes.

7.- In a stake pocket for railway cars and the like, a stake rec iving compartment having an open front thru which the stake is inserted, a pivoted door for closing the open front, a pivoted latch bar for releasably latching the door in closed position, a catch on said stake pocket for receiving the latch bar and means to permit the movement of the latch bar in two planes.

8. In a stake, pocket for railway cars and the like, a stake receiving compartment having an open front through which the stake is inserted, a pivoted door for closing the open front, a pivoted latch bar for releasably latching the door in closed position, a catch for receiving said latch bar, spring means bearing against the latch bar to hold the same engaged in its catch, and means to permit movement of the latch bar in two planes.

9. In, a stake pocket for railway cars and the like, a stake receiving compartment having an open front through which the stake is inserted, a door closing said open front and contacting with one surface of the stake, a latch member forreleasably latching said stake and plate in position, acatch for receiving said latch member, a pivot pin, a large socket on said latch member surrounding said pivot pin, a beveled edge on both the upper and lower surface of said socket,

and a coil spring around'said pin pressing upon the bottom of said socket. I

10 in a stake pocket for railway cars or the like, a stake compartment havmg an open 'side, a door closing said open side and pivoted at one side of said pocket, a latch pivoted at the other side of said pocket, a keeper for said latch on the door pivot side of the latch, said door bearing against the latch on the side adjacent the latch pivot, whereby the releasing of the latch from its keeper is facilitated.

11. Ina stake pocket for railway cars and the like, a stake receiving compartment having an open front, a member contacting with one surface of the stake and extending when closed substantially across said front opening and a latch member extending when .clcsed substantially across said front openmg and releasably, securing said stake contact member.

12; In a stake pocket for railway carsand the like, a stake receiving compartment having an open front, a door ext-ending when closed substantially across said front opening and a latch bar extending when closed substantially across said front opening and releasably securing said door.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature to this specification,

LOUIS D. GREGG. 

